Sunday, January 14, 2018

The rattling of muscle tightening around bone calls to the Ivory Legion like the bleating of a lamb calls to lions. They move with strange silence in their steps, like living ghosts that emerge from the bush to steal away those they deem unblooded. They were men, once, with families perhaps. With villages and gods and ancestors, all of whom would be sickened by who they have become. They have donned bone dust and ivory masks of waylaid beasts, and they have sold away their souls to the rhythm of the hunt.

To be an Ivory Legionnaire is to be one of a faceless thousand who have heard the thrumming of bone and the boiling of blood in the hearts of their former fellow man. It is to be an outcast in pursuit of beast and demon with whom you are fated to battle and to die. It is to be the hated spear of mankind pushing through the darkened wilderness so that others might live better, forsaking all in the reckless pursuit of dominance over the natural world.

Arms & Armor: An Ivory Legionnaire may wear any type of armor, provided that the bulk of its construction is made from the pelts of animals or the bones of beasts. They may fight with any type of weapon, though they may only use a single type of weapon damage (bludgeoning, slashing, piercing) per hunt. If a Legionnaire switches between weapons that have different damage types, they fight with a -2 penalty to hit until they spend a day in meditation to the rhythm of the hunt.

Silent Steps: By applying bone dust to their feet and hands, an Ivory Legionnaire becomes silent to the ears of mundane beasts and animals. Predatory but non-sapient monsters can detect an Ivory Legionnaire at a rate of 3-in-6, a failure allowing the Ivory Legionnaire to pass by unnoticed.

Rhythm of the Hunt: Upon first being attacked by a monster or finding spoors of the creature, the Ivory Legionnaire becomes tireless in its pursuits. The Ivory Legionnaire is able to track their quarry at a rate of 50%, regardless of weather conditions. During such times an Ivory Legionnaire is able to sleep standing up, with their eyes open, and be ready for combat at a moment's notice without penalty. Attacks made against this quarry receive the Ivory Legionnaire’s level as a bonus To Hit if the attack is a Surprise Attack.

Heartless is the Hunter: Due to snuffing out their human empathy in response to the hunter's call, an Ivory Legionnaire suffers a -2 penalty to any Reaction rolls made with peaceful humanoids and is unable to find hirelings willing to serve them. Any negative responses that are not out-rightly violent are displays of disgust and statements of belief that the Ivory Legionnaire is cursed.

Brutality: Once an Ivory Legionnaire has chosen the weapon for their hunt they do not waiver in its use. If the Ivory Legionnaire has a chosen quarry, they may increase the damage dice by one degree while combating that foe on this hunt. For example; a Legionnaire has chosen to use a spear (piercing) that deals d8 damage. While hunting his chosen quarry, a Tiger Demon, the spear instead deals d10 damage.

Bone Mask: The Ivory Legion makes use of bone masks, totemic representations of beasts that they believe grants them strength. If an Ivory Legionnaire has such a mask donned, they are immune to the effects of Fear. If the mask is, however, destroyed, the Legionnaire succumbs to a savage rage and must make a Save vs Spell to prevent themselves from killing whatever destroyed their mask. The mask must be constructed from the bones of the Legionnaire's most recent and impressive kill, and crafting a new mask from a kill takes a number of days equal to the Ivory Legionnaire's level.

Stronghold: At 9th Level, an Ivory Legionnaire begins feeling compelled to construct a great bonfire of bones. The bonfire must be constructed from the bones of lesser beasts, man-eaters, criminals, and great monsters; and it must be placed in an area of dangerous repute. After its creation and a month's time, 2d10x2 Marked recruits will find their way to the fire, anoint themselves in bone dust, and begin wandering the wilderness in pursuit of beasts. The Ivory Legionnaire will be able to call upon them to destroy those who might seek to topple the fire or to make war against a beast which all could share in the glory of killing; but other than these two instances no loyalty or fealty should be assumed.

The Ivory Legionnaire (Saving Throws)

Level

Breath Attacks

Poison or Death

Petrify or Paralyze

Wands

Spells or Spell-like Devices

1-3

15

12

14

13

16

4-6

13

10

12

11

14

7-9

9

8

10

9

12

10

7

6

8

7

10

The Ivory Legionnaire

Level

Experience

Title

Hit Dice (d8)

1

0

the Marked

1

2

3,100

the Blooded

2

3

6,200

the Masked

3

4

9,300

the Bone-Breaker

4

5

18,600

the Heart-Ripper

5

6

37,200

the Fangs in the Night

6

7

74,400

the Slayer of Beasts

7

8

148,800

the Ivory Legionnaire

8

9

297,600

the Hunter in Ivory

9

10+

595,200+

the Keeper of the Hunter's Flame

2+ HP Only*

*Ignore Constitution Modifier Bonuses.

Design Note: This is some rough stuff, but conceptually I like it. I'm running a Yoon-Suin game and I'm just busting out a bunch of classes, this is the first one that I'm able to upload proper. I like the idea of the African folk hero who fights for the community and against the Bush, but I am also a big fan of obsession/tragic narratives. A Fighter can be that folk hero, an Ivory Legionnaire is one of countless failed folk heroes who have given away all they cared about in pursuit of the Hunt and the destruction of that which lives in the Bush.

From a pure design stand-point they are a fighter who tracks and is good at taking down a specific baddie during an adventure. They are good when prepared and can use any armor/weapon provided it is made mostly of animal parts.